Framing Britney Spears, the new #FreeBritney documentary from the New York Times Presents series, aired in the US last night; and critics have been having plenty to say about it.

The film was made in 2020 as attention on Britney’s conservatorship really kicked up a notch, and the public’s clamour for details and answers reached new heights.

Spears and her current situation remain shrouded in one hell of a lot of mystery: we haven’t really heard her speak on the record beyond the light things she puts on Instagram, and it’s been hard to judge whether she’d benefit most from fans’ continued efforts to get to the truth, or from everyone just leaving her in peace.

In their review, Variety said that filmmaker Samantha Stark “strikes an appropriate balance, moving with crisp rigor and an unstinting yet respectful frankness through the Spears story.”

They add: “Without tipping its hand either way, Framing Britney Spears provides air both to grand theories of Spears and to those theories’ proponents explaining their belief in pitched terms.

“This film provides a sort of pocket portrait of a person for whom freedom has been denied, and for whom that denial comes as no surprise.”

CNN, meanwhile, wrote: “Framing Britney Spears doesn’t really penetrate that protective shell, but it does meticulously lay out the history and key players, as well as the way the conversation about her status has grown to encompass issues beyond just the particulars of Spears’ story.

“The more uncomfortable, slightly meta question is whether even serious attempts to examine the star’s fame and potential exploitation wind up participating in the process.”

Den of Geek said: “It is a true crime documentary, but the truth hasn’t been determined, and the crime is hard to define.

“Framing Britney Spears is worth watching for the details, the history it tells, and the history it captures inadvertently by virtue of its hybrid journalistic filmmaking. This is Millennial Media and it is fitting the subject is Britney Spears, the most iconic figure of that generation.

“The full-length documentary, without ever expressly proclaiming it, shows how the star is being saved by her peers. An entire community, linked with nothing but love for their favorite singer, comes together to do right by her. It’s their prerogative.”

Finally, Decider wrote: “Framing Britney Spears hits hard because it not only shows us what was done to Britney over the course of several years, but the impact she’s had on the lives of millions of fans.

“Hearing from the fans and podcasters whose lives have been changed by Britney only help to make clear just how important this documentary is. The fans just want to do for her what she’s done for them: set her free.

“We may get limited time with the group of individuals protesting outside the courthouse during one of her conservatorship hearings, but it’s enough to understand just how significant of a mark she has made.”

They summarise: “Framing Britney Spears bravely sheds light on the way Britney Spears has been treated for years and the rampant misogyny and toxic culture that allowed her to lose control of her life in the first place.”

A UK airdate for the doc has not been announced.